LANSING, Mich. — Michigan anglers could soon spear fish without penalty on the state’s largest inland lake — the only one that officials say currently bans the practice.

The state Senate unanimously passed a measure Thursday that would lift a prohibition on spear fishing in Houghton Lake in the Lower Peninsula’s Roscommon County. The legislation previously approved by the House now heads to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.

State natural resources officials say they don’t know why the prohibition was enacted on the roughly 20,000-acre lake. It might have stemmed from concerns about the health of the lake’s pike, but officials say that fish population is robust and could sustain spear fishing.

Authorities say all fish harvested with a spear would still be subject to size requirements specified by law.